Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10397/521
PIRA download icon_1.1View/Download Full Text
Title: She knows more about Hong Kong than you do isn't it’ : tags in Hong Kong conversational English
Authors: Cheng, W 
Warren, M 
Issue Date: Sep-2001
Source: Journal of pragmatics, Sept. 2001, v. 33, n. 9, p.1419-1439
Abstract: This paper reports on a corpus-based intercultural communication study comparing the syntactic form and pragmatic use of tags by non-native speakers (Hong Kong Chinese) and native speakers of English. It outlines the main findings and seeks to explain where, when, and why tags are used by the two groups of speakers in their conversations. The study shows that when compared with their native speaker interlocutors, the non-native speakers use tag questions much less frequently, but use tag words twice as often. The two groups of speakers also use tags differently to express pragmatic meaning. The non-native speakers display a preference for using invariant tag forms and use tags mostly for seeking confirmation from the hearer. The tags used by native speakers of English are more evenly spread across a number of pragmatic functions: asking for information, seeking confirmation and emphasizing what is being said. Tentative explanations are offered to account for the findings presented.
Keywords: Tags
Tag questions
Tag words
Intercultural communication
Intercultural pragmatics
Corpus-based study
Publisher: Elsevier
Journal: Journal of pragmatics 
ISSN: 0378-2166
DOI: 10.1016/S0378-2166(00)00080-1
Rights: Journal of Pragmatics © 2001 Elsevier Science. The journal web site is located at http://www.sciencedirect.com.
Appears in Collections:Journal/Magazine Article

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat 
tag questions.pdfPre-published version816.45 kBAdobe PDFView/Open
Open Access Information
Status open access
File Version Final Accepted Manuscript
Access
View full-text via PolyU eLinks SFX Query
Show full item record

Page views

264
Last Week
1
Last month
Citations as of Mar 24, 2024

Downloads

218
Citations as of Mar 24, 2024

SCOPUSTM   
Citations

29
Last Week
0
Last month
1
Citations as of Mar 28, 2024

WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations

18
Last Week
0
Last month
0
Citations as of Mar 28, 2024

Google ScholarTM

Check

Altmetric


Items in DSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.